Nurse Facing Backlash For TikTok Video Promoting Abstinence

By Dave BasnerJan 14, 2020

A nurse with over 1.7 million followers on TikTok is taking some heat after a recent video she shared. The woman, who goes by Nurse Holly on social media, posted a clip of herself pointing at words that spell out, "The best way to prevent STDs is waiting for sex until marriage. Just the truth."

Her followers flooded Nurse Holly with criticisms, telling her she is wrong and that it is unreasonable for most people to abstain from sex. To illustrate the point, one person replied to her, "Best way to prevent a flu is to live in an isolation chamber." With all the backlash, Holly deleted the video, explaining to Buzzfeed that she "only wish[es] to promote positivity and healthy lifestyles" and that she is sorry "for any offense that was taken."

Many nurses feel the damage has been done and have themselves shared videos in response to Holly's, pointing out how dangerous her "biased rhetoric" is and how she shouldn't be shaming people:

Holly further explained to BuzzFeed that she created the video to show "little girls" that "there can be benefits of saving sexuality for one partner." She added, "In the comments, I acknowledged that of course using protection will help prevent STDs if one is sexually active. I just wanted to present another option to my young audience. I understand that my voice will not be accepted by many as it’s an unpopular view. This video was simply created with the intention of helping little girls see that saving sex for one partner may have certain benefits."

Meanwhile, others in the medical profession are using this as an opportunity to spread awareness about the role of a doctor and how they can be confided in: